Journey Into Place


Objectives:

Essential Question:

1. Develop writing territories for current and future writing tasks.

2. Immersion in, and practice of, the recursive nature of the writing process.

3. Produce a polished essay that demonstrates understanding of narrative structure and that has gone through the drafting process.

4. Intregrate compelling and effective description, details, and voice in one’s own narrative writing.

5. Integrate elements of author’s craft in one’s own narrative writing.

6. Demonstrate understanding of the Six Traits in providing constructive feedback to Writing Response Group peers, and in revising one’s own narrative.

What enduring life lessons can be learned from writing the stories of our journeys and sharing them with others?


Assessment Pieces:

1) A Place Worth Writing About Memoir, polished and revised through the drafting process.


2) Writing Response Group Experience Reflection



Deadline for Memoir and Reflection: Thursday, July 14




Module 2A: A Place Worth Writing About


Project Prompt and Overview



DOC

RTF

PDF








Narrative 101



DOC

RTF

PDF







Instructor-Written Place Memoirs



"UP and Away" by Michael Somers

"It's a Wonderful Life at the Drive Thru" by Amber White





MLA Format Information (OWL at Purdue)



MLA Template DOC



MLA Template RTF







Module 2B: Writing Our Lives

"All Writing Is Autobiography" by Donald Murray

"Read This Introduction" by Natalie Goldberg

Writer's Notebook Prompt Related to the Murray and Goldberg Readings:



Which aspects of the Murray and Goldberg pieces gave you insights into the concept of “life writing”? What do you make of those aspects?


Deadline: Monday, July 11




"Our Storied Lives: The Quest for 'Something More', Part 1"
"Our Storied Lives: The Quest for 'Something More', Part 2"

Writer's Notebook Prompt Related to "Our Storied Lives":

What ah-ha moments did these pieces give you? What surprises did you find? How has your thinking about life writing shifted as a result? If it hasn’t, please explain.

Deadline: Monday, July 11




Module 2C: Details and Description

"Original Detail" and "The Power of Detail" by Natalie Goldberg





Deadline: Tuesday, July 12


NOTE: No Writer's Notebook entry required.






"Location, Location, Location: A Way Into Descriptive Writing" by Ray Skjelbred

"The Field Trip Within" by Peter Trenouth

"You Know More Than You Think You Do: A New Look at 'Write What You Know'" by Mark Farrington

Writing Notebook Prompt Related to the NWP Articles:

Name one idea from each of the three essays that you could build a writing lesson around for your students. What might that lesson look like (without actually creating a lesson plan -- just summarize what you might have the students do)?

Deadline: Tuesday, July 12




Module 2D: Writer's Toolbox

"The Writer's Toolbox: 5 Tools for Active Revision Instruction" by Laura Harper



Deadline: Tuesday, July 12


Writer's Notebook entry: None



Module 2E: Revision


Writer's Notebook Prompt Related to "Home Improvement":

In what ways does Percy's metaphor of revision as renovation make sense to you? Be sure to reference a few passages from Percy’s article. Also, what metaphor would you apply to revision? Why? What can you do to notch up your game when it comes to revision?


Deadline: Wednesday, July 13



Additional Resources, Adaptations, and Extensions